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The challenge with adapting popular superhero stories is that you risk revisiting familiar territory. Insomniac Games solved this problem in 2018’s “Marvel’s Spider-Man,” introducing a mid-career Peter Parker and remixing old characters with new motivations and storylines.
It became a PlayStation smash hit, and the studio’s portrayal of Spider-Man is often cited by some fans and critics as even better than Hollywood’s, including the Sam Raimi classics of the early 1970s. Insomniac Games helped launch the PlayStation 5 in 2020 with a chapter about Miles Morales that fleshed out his background and relationships.
Now, with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Insomniac Games combines both Spider-Man stories into one and hopes to repeat the same trick from 2018. It’s a success, and Insomniac Games has undoubtedly created a better game than the last two chapters. The gameplay is now so refined and dynamic that it makes the 2018 and 2020 games obsolete.
When it comes to games and films, Sony creators, including Insomniac Games, have raised the bar for modern Spidey storytelling. So it’s no real insult to say that this 2023 sequel doesn’t quite clear the bar. Yes, the reinterpretation of classic characters remains fascinating and surprising. Things happen to old characters that you don’t really expect. The problem comes when you perhaps realize what I’ve done: I’ve felt it all before.
The 2018 game set the stage: Parker’s childhood best friend, Harry Osborn, was undergoing cancer treatment for two years. After mysterious circumstances, he has now resurfaced, healthier than ever. The legendary big game hunter Kraven invades New York City to hunt down its heroes and villains. Additionally, the black alien goo that would later become Spidey’s nemesis Venom is finally introduced into the Insomniac storyline.
Harry, played by “Riverdale” actor Graham Phillips, is particularly appealing as the sympathetic and mentally fragile best friend. There are many scenes where he rekindles his old friendships, and Insomniac uses these moments to create a video game superhero experience that goes beyond punching bad guys. Some sequences evoke the whimsy of Wes Anderson films, complete with a jangly alt-folk soundtrack with men singing in whispers.
The story of Peter and Harry’s strained friendship isn’t nearly as trite as the deaths of Peter’s Uncle Ben or Batman’s parents. But it’s still an old story familiar to even casual Spider-Man fans. Old characters may have new motivations, but the game’s script hits familiar emotional beats. It’s all written with depth and tenderness at a breezy pace. But when the big moments come, it’s hard to shake the feeling that you’ve been here before. Yes, being Spider-Man will strain relationships and contradict normality. I’m not sure I came away with a new understanding of the characters. It doesn’t help that the black alien suit story has always been pretty ridiculous, including the oft-mocked edginess (see Raimi’s Spider-Man 3) that feels inevitable.
Despite the familiarity, it’s satisfying to watch the tensions in Harry and Peter’s friendship reach their limits, like these videos of stretched slime. And in action, the alien’s sticky movements are frightening and startling as it moves from host to host. The main villain, Venom, is a terrifying sight in his final iconic form. When the villain finally comes into play, it’s a breathtaking event that makes you wish he was there for the entire game.
And at least Miles Morales offers a new perspective from which to witness Parker’s descent into snarling, stubborn mannerisms. While Parker’s story corresponds to the classic moments of the comic saga, it is important for Morales to maintain the “friendly neighborhood” side of the hero. Although the script devolves into yet another New York City-wide disaster (with the endgame in particular exceeding believability), side missions for Morales make the game feel like a snapshot in the life of Spider-Man. It’s a high-flying, sanitized perspective of New York life, yet cozy in its sentimentality. The game makes excellent use of the city as a battle arena, theater stage and playground as battles explode at high speed and spread across districts.
And yes, you’re still beating hundreds of bad guys here, and this part is better than ever. Insomniac continues to employ the best animators in the industry. The depiction of Spider-Man pays homage to the limits and possibilities of the human body. There are only so many ways to beat a man, and Insomniac seems determined to bring them all to life. The phrase “Feel like Spider-Man” was repeated many times in reviews of the 2018 game, so much so that it became a meme, but it has its roots in truth. These games evoke the feeling of being a hero by combining animation with player control to create the feeling of achieving superhuman feats as if they were second nature.
In its third game, Insomniac is now relying on a formula that doesn’t seem quite as fresh as it did in 2018, but is still exciting and solid. Although the story seemed familiar, its storylines hint at more exciting ideas for the future. And because it replaces the first two games, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is easily the most entertaining superhero game of all time. In this case, the familiar is warmly welcomed.
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